The No. 16 Texas A&M womens basketball team will seek to lengthen their six game win streak as they travel to Columbia, South Carolina on Sunday to take on the No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks.
Texas A&M Junior All American candidate Kelsey Bone is currently No. 3 in the nation in field goal percentage and has had ten double-doubles this season. Bone previously played for South Carolina before transferring and this will be her first time playing against her old school.
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said it is weird that her team will be facing Bone after her departure from the team.
Its ironic, isnt it? Staley said. Its funny how the world works. I guess it was meant for us to face each other. Im glad shes found success at Texas A&M.
Though this will be the first time the Aggies will face the Gamecocks, this is not the first time A&M head coach Gary Blair will face them. In Blairs ten seasons coaching the Arkansas womens basketball team, he matched up against the Gamecocks fourteen times, winning 11 out of 14.
The Aggies are currently on a six game win streak, as are the Gamecocks. The top offensive rebounder in the SEC, South Carolinas Aleighsa Welch has been on a hot streak, putting up 16 points and 10 rebounds against Alabama for her seventh double- double of the season.
This season, the Aggie freshmen have performed exceptionally well and have seen quite a bit of playing time. They came into the season ranked as the No. 2 freshman class in the nation and have proved their ranking. A&M head coach Gary Blair said he doesnt think any other team in the conference is playing freshmen as much as he is.
I’m playing four freshmen with double-digit minutes. Blair said. I don’t think anyone else in conference is, and that’s a lot of pressure for them.”
Despite the pressure, the Aggies have proved themselves game after game. With only one loss in the conference, the Aggies are No. 2 in the SEC rankings but the Gamecocks are not far behind.
Gamecocks senior forward Ashley Bruner said this is a big game for them.
Theyre ahead of us in the SEC poll so this will be a big one for us. Burner said. Thats why were looking forward to it.
The Aggies are coming off of a 74-57 win against LSU this past week and will seek to better their 18-5 record against South Carolina on Sunday.